BECKETT #5
He smiled warmly now, which scared me almost as much as his broodiness had.
“I am, Beck. Sports have always had a hard time accepting anyone who is different, which is hypocritical when the entire point was to be different in another way. But times are changing. And young people making a statement puts a smile on my face. I’m proud of you, Son.
” He set a hand on my shoulder, effectively cutting off every trace of thought I’d had before and forcing me to think about his words now.
“I didn’t mean it as a statement,” I said, slightly confused. “I just love him.”
Uncle Nate gave a deep nod. “And that’s a statement on its own, Beck.
But…I’m happy for you. Come here.” And he wrapped his arms around my body, holding me still.
He had always been the prime example of an athlete in my mind.
I had shaped myself in his image. This strong man, muscled and confident, excelled in everything he cared for but still found the time to be a decent human being.
I hugged him hard. “I was so scared to tell you.”
“To tell me? Why, Beckett? You know you can always talk to me. Besides, it’s not my job to dictate anyone’s happiness.” He pulled back from me after the hug and shook his head pitifully at me.
I licked my lips, then turned my head to Caden and gestured for him to join us. “I want you to meet him,” I told Uncle Nate quietly.
Caden stepped forward, antsy but feigning confidence. He must have gathered by now that it had gone well. And when he joined us, he thrust his hand towards my uncle.
“So, you’re the guy who’s making my nephew have all those silly grins, huh?” Uncle Nate asked, shaking Caden’s hand and clasping his shoulder.
“Caden Jones, Sir,” my love said.
“I know who you are,” Uncle Nate said. “I watched you play, Caden. You’re a talented guy. And you make my Beckett happy.”
Caden’s ears twitched and his eyes lit up. “He deserves it. We gave each other hell for a while, Sir.”
“Oh, drop the ‘Sir.’ I’m Nate.” My uncle had the effortless charisma of a guy who had spent his life in the spotlight.
He released Caden and tucked his hands into his pockets.
Our breaths were misty in the cold night, but Uncle Nate wasn’t rushing to get anywhere.
“Beckett tells me he was afraid of what I’d say.
What do you make of that? Does your family know?
Don’t answer if it’s too personal.” Uncle Nate chuckled and shrugged like an innocent boy.
It was an odd thing to see a thirty-nine-year-old do, but he could pull it off.
Caden gave his question some thought, then shook his head.
“I’m not surprised.” He inhaled and looked from me to Uncle Nate.
“That’s what coming out does to you. We learn about ourselves in the shadows.
And when the time comes to tell people, you start questioning even the strongest relationships you have.
” His attention turned back to my eyes like I was the only person on the planet.
“Even those who love you no matter what, you start doubting they can get past the truth of who you are. But they love you. And love’s a promise as much as it is an emotion. ”
Silence settled for a little while, and we looked into each other’s eyes. I wanted to inscribe those words in my heart. I wanted to make that promise to Caden.
Uncle Nate cleared his throat. “That’s wonderful, Caden. And I think I’ll leave you now, huh? I’ll catch you at the bar.”
I nodded at Uncle Nate, but my attention returned to Caden in the next instant. “I love you,” I whispered. “I almost can’t believe it, Caden, considering how we kicked things off, but you’re all that makes me happy.”
Caden blinked quickly, like there was a threat of tears to deal with, and stepped closer. Our big winter jackets brushed one against the other. “You make me happy, Beckett. Maybe you used to be my sworn enemy, but you became my friend. And you’re my captain. And you’re the guy I love.”
“Do you really mean that?” I asked.
He knew which part. He chuckled. “I do. You deserve the captaincy, Beckett. And it’s my honor to follow you.”
I took the lapels of his jacket and pulled him in. “If it means anything, I really expected Coach Murray to name you.”
He snorted. “I knew I saw the surprise on your face. I knew it.”
I pulled him in and wiped the smugness of his face with a searing kiss on his lips.
I slipped my tongue in just to see how far I could take him, but he followed me eagerly.
Suddenly, the prospect of partying with the team seemed less exciting than other things I could do.
But I was the captain. Even if I had to suffer the anticipation of some private time with Caden for the rest of the night, I would because the team had questions and we had the answers.
“My love,” I murmured over his lips.
“I’ll never get used to hearing that,” Caden huffed.
I could have kissed him all night when he said that. “My love,” I purred. “Let’s have some fun. The sooner we get there…”
“…the sooner we can leave,” he finished for me.
We kissed again, snickering, and forced ourselves to walk. We held hands and my heart danced and danced without a break. And each step we made brought me closer to another destination. Each step was a moment in time and each moment reminded me that all of this was real.
Sure, we were going to the Thirsty Thinker to toast our victory. But as we put one foot in front of the other, we moved toward a life filled with lust, joy, and love.